Geoege westinghouse



(No Model.)

G. WESTINGHOUSE, Jr.

APPARATUS POR RELIEVING PRESSURE IN BRAKE GYEINDERS. No. 300,54 Patnted June 17, 1884.

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UNITED STATES Parar-ir @risica GEORGE VESTINGHOUSE, JR., OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOAR RELIEVING PRESSURE IN BRAKE-CYLlNDERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 300,543, dated June 17, 1884.

Application filed November 30, 1553.

To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that I, GEORGE lVns'rinenonsi-J, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, county of Allegheny, State of Penn- Sylvania, haveinvented or discovered a new and useful. Improvement in Apparatus for Relieving Pressure in Brake-Cylinders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, concise, and-exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which-like letters indicating like parts- Figure l is a sectional View (enlarged) of the valve for relieving' the air-pressure in the brake-cylinder. Fig. 2 is a view of the bottom of aear, showing the usual arrangement of air-reservoir, brake-cylinder and pipes, the signaling-pipe, and the exhaust-Valve. F ig. 3 is a side View of an engine-cab, showing the arrangement of the 'main reservoir, the auxiliary signaling-reservoir, and the necessary pipe-connections.

Myinvention is designed for use in connection with what are commonly known as automatic brakes, and I have shown it as applied. to the lVestinghonse automat-ic brake, in connection with a signal-operating mechanism in which a iiuid pressure in excess of atmospheric pressure, but less than the pressure in the brake apparatus, is ordinarily maintained.

It sometimes happens that the brakes are applied accidentally by the bursting of the hose-connection, and the object of this-invention is to provide a means additional to that ordinarily used for releasing the brakes, and to this end I utilize the signal-operating pipe to convey pressure from the main reservoir to a valve mechanism the ports of which connect with the brake-cylinder.

A is the main reservoir, attached, as usual, under the foot-board of a locomotive. I is the signaling-reservoir. A is the auxiliary reservoir, usually arranged' one. under each car, and C is the brake-cylinder, which is provided with a piston and piston-stem connected with a brake-lever in any suitable way.

rIhe location of the triple valve is shown at u and the brake-pipe at a', Fig. 2. The triple valve and brake-cylinder are connected by the pipe a, The main reservoir A is provided (No model.)

with a reducing-valve, It. rlf'his valve R is connected by a pipe, b, through`a short branch to a signaling-valve, It', on the end of the signaling-reservoir l5, and the signaling-Valve It' is connected by a pipe, to the signal s, which in this case is a whistle. 'By the use of the reducing-Valve R only sullicient pressure is main tained in the signaling-reservoir and its pipes extending under the train to operate the signal. The pipe b is extended'above the signaling-Valve, and is connected with one of the port-s or" a cock, j', the other port of this cool; being connected by a pipe, j", with the main reservoir A. Near the main reservoir, but above the reducing-valve, the pipe b is provided with a branch b', which is connected with the signaling-pipebi, extending under the cars, the signaling-pipe under each ear being connected with the pipe under the tender or other cars by the usual hose and coupling.

Under each car the signaling-pipe is provided with a branch, If', which is connected by an elbow, b, to the Valve mechanism l), which is connected to the same head of the brake-cylinder as the pipe c, leading from the triple valve e. VThis valve mechanism I), Fig. l, is formed of two parts, d and d', recessed at their ends, which recesses form, when the parts are secured together, the diaphragmchamber d. The part d is also provided with a longitudinal passage, d. In the chamber d 'is placed the flexible diaphragm d5, which is held at its edge between the two parts d and d of the valveease. Within the partfd isformed a valve-chamber, d". From one end of this chamber d extends a passage, d", connecting the chamber d with the recess d. lhis passage d is intersectedby an exhaust-port, di. The other end of the chamber d. is tapped, and into the end of this chamber is screwed the plug d. This plug also is screwed into the cylinderhead, and is provided with a central longitudinal passage, d, and a series of two or more inclined passages, dl. These inclined passages connect the chamber di with the passage dl, midway of its length. The end of the passage dT which opens into the Valveeliainber d is provided with a valve-seat, against which is normally pressed the Valve c by the spring c', which surrounds one of the Valve-stems c? and bears at its ends against IOO . rIhe brakes having been applied by the burstp all known substitutes and equivalents therethe valve c and the plug The valve-stem l c2 extends throught he valve-chamber d, and enters and is guided by the central passage, d10, of the plug d". The other side of the valve is provided with a short-Winged stem, c, which extends into the passage d? and guides the valve c to its seat. Against the end ofthe winged stem bears the pressure-stem e, which works in the enlarged part of the passage d7 to the right of the exhaust-port d8. The end ofthis pressurestern, Where it extends into the exhaust-port cl3, is provided with wings,and its end which extends into the diaphragm-chamber d bears by its enlarged head c against the diaphragm d5.

The operation of my mechanism is as follows: The main reservoir A, the signal-reservoir B, the auxiliary reservoirs A under the cars, and the brakeand signal pipes are all charged with fluid under pressure, the pressure in the signal reservoir and pipes being less than thatin the other reservoirs and pipes.

ing or breaking of the brake-pipes,- to release themthe engineer turns the cock f, thereby allowing the full pressure of the main reservoir to act in the si gnal-pipes. This pressure, acting on the diaphragm d, moves the stern e3, and through that the valve c is unseated, therebyr allowing a free exhaust from the brakecylinder through passages d10 and c u, the chamber d, the passage dl, and the exhaustport d8, and thus relieving the wheels from the pressure of the brake-shoes.

The spring c should have sufiicient tension to withstand the normal-pressure in the signal-pipes, which, as before stated, isless than that in the main and auxiliary'reservoirs and the brake-pipes.

Under each car is formed a branch, m, in the signaling-pipe, said branch extending up into the car, where it is provided with a suitable cock to enable the conductor to signal-to the engineer by allowing a slight escape of fluid from the signal-pipe.

In so far as relates to the construction of the parts hereinbefore described, I consider for as within the scope of my invention.

I claim herein as my invention- .1. The method of releasing brakes operated by an artificially-created Huid-pressure, consisting in releasing the pressure in the brakecylinder by increasing the uid-pressure on a movable diaphragm, substantially as set forth. 2. The combination of a brake-cylinder, an exhaust-valve, an independent signal-pipe, the main reservoir, and a cock' for admitting the full pressure of the main reservoir into the signal-pipe, substantially as set forth.

3. In a fluid-pressure brake mechanism having a brak e-.pipe for operating the brakes by the use of any desired pressure, and a signal-pipe normally charged with a less pressure, both connected with the brake-cylinder, and, in combination therewith, a pressure-relieving mechanism arranged in the line of communication from the signal-pipe to the brake-cylinder, and a cock arranged in the pipe which connects the main reservoir with the signalingpipe, substantially as set forth.

4L. Aiiuid-pressure brake and signaling apparatus having, in combination, a brake-pipe and an independent signaling-pipe, a connection from one to the other through a common reservoir, and means for keeping the signaling pipe continuously charged with fluidpressure, but at aless pressure than that normally contained in the brake-pipe, substantially as set forth.

5. In combination with a brake-cylinder, C, and a pipe, a3, for the supply and discharge of fluid-pressure in the normal operation of the brakes, an independent exhaust-valve,

a movable diaphragm for operatin g said valve, a spring to hold said valve to its seat asagainst normal pressure, and a fluid-pressure-supply pipe and cock for applying an excess of Huidpressure to unseat said valve, substantially as set forth.

6. In an exhaust-valve, the combination of the parts d and d, the part d having the passage di and recess d, the part d having the passages d10, d, d, dl, and d8 and recess d,v 

